The anniversary dance (or reverse anniversary dance) is a really fun way to celebrate your new marriage with all of your family and friends who are already married. It is the easiest way to include some of the older guests at your wedding.
We have put together an awesome list of the best anniversary dance songs to use at your wedding reception.
Here is what we cover in this article:
- Top 10 anniversary dance songs for your wedding
- Classic songs to use for the anniversary dance
- Country songs to play during the anniverary dance at your reception
- Modern anniversay dance songs
- Upbeat songs to use for the anniversary dance
- What is an anniversary dance at a wedding?
- More frequently asked questions about the anniversary dance (FAQ)
Best Anniversary Dance Songs (Wedding Songs For The Longest Married Couple)
Choosing music for your anniversary dance is a personal decision so make sure you pick something that you love (and that all of your guests will love).
If your wedding has a lot of older guests/couples, consider choosing something from the classics list. On the other hand, if your wedding guest list includes a lot of younger couples, you might want to look at the modern or upbeat song lists. Don’t worry, we have some great song ideas for everyone!
Here are the best songs to use for your wedding anniversary dance:
Top 10 (most requested) anniversary dance songs for a wedding reception
We talked with Adam Gingrich (A wedding DJ with Mixed-Up Productions) and he gave us their top 10, most requested songs for the wedding anniversary dance. Here they are:
- “Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers
- “Remember When” by Alan Jackson
- “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
- “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers
- “At Last” by Etta James
- “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
- “All of Me” by John Legend
- “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
- “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz
- “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran
Classic songs to play for your wedding anniversary dance (including the most popular oldies)
- “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley
- “Unforgettable (Duet with Nat King Cole)” by Natalie Cole
- “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder
- “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton
- “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
- “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams
- “What A Wonderful World” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole
- “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra
- “It Had to Be You” by Harry Conick, Jr.
- “Grow Old With You” by Adam Sandler
- “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by James Taylor
- “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole
- “Endless Love” by Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
- “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
- “How Deep Is Your Love” by Bee Gees
- “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” by Rod Stewart
- “More Than Words” by Extreme
- “In My Life” by The Beatles
- “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain
- “Always” by Bon Jovi (This is the perfect song for the anniversary dance if you like something a little more rock and roll)
- “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
- “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John
- “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters
- “Here, There and Everywhere” by The Beatles
- “Every Breath You Take” by The Police
- “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith
- “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper
- “Faithfully” by Journey
- “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
- “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo
- “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden
- “I Swear” by All-4-One
- “I Only Have Eyes For You” by The Flamingos
- “A Moment Like This” by Leona Lewis
- “Endless Love” Shania Twain and Lionel Richie
- “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)” by The Penguins
- “Heaven” by Bryan Adams
- “You and Me” by Lifehouse
- “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder
- “The Best Is Yet To Come” by Frank Sinatra
- “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys
- “A Thousand Years” by Christine Perri
- “Stuck On You” by Lionel Richie
- “Thank You For Loving Me” by Bon Jovi
- “Could I Have This Dance” by Anne Murray
- “The Space Between” by Dave Matthews Band
- “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor
- “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
- “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams
- “Just the Two of Us (feat. Bill Withers)” by Grover Washington, Jr.
- “Save the Last Dance for Me” by The Drifters
- “Take My Breath Away (Love Theme from Top Gun)” by Berlin
- “You Were Meant For Me” by Jewel
- “We’ve Got Tonight” by Sheena Easton & Kenny Rogers
- “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler
- “Up Where We Belong” by Jennifer Warnes & Joe co*cker
- “Hopelessly Devoted To You” by Olivia Newton-John
Country songs for the anniversary dance at a wedding
If you are a fan of country music, or if you are having a rustic themed wedding, this is the list for you:
- “Amazed” by Lonestar
- “You’re Still The One” by Shania Twain
- “From the Ground Up” by Dan + Shay
- “The Rest of Our Life” by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
- “Through The Years” by Rascal Flatts
- “Forever to Go” by Chase Rice
- “Better Together” by Luke Combs
- “Two People Fell In Love” by Brad Paisley
- “Head Over Boots” by Jon Pardi
- “Love You Like I Used To” by Russell Dickerson
- “Forever And For Always” by Shania Twain
- “When I Said I Do” by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black
- “You Just Get Better All The Time” by Tim McGraw
- “Forever And Ever, Amen” by Randy Travis
- “Speechless” by Dan + Shay
- “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts
- “You Make It Easy” by Jason Aldean
- “Look at Us” by Vince Gill
- “I’d Love You All Over Again” by Alan Jackson
- “Me And You” by Kenny Chesney
- “Loving You Easy” by Zac Brown Band
- “Glad You Exist” by Dan + Shay
- “I Keep On Lovin’ You” by Reba McEntire
- “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes
*You might also enjoy this article: 470 Best Country Wedding Songs
Modern (new/newer) songs to use for the anniversary dance
- “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne
- “Lifetime” by Justin Bieber
- “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds
- “Better Together” by Jack Johnson
- “Just The Way You Are” by Music Travel Love
- “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
- “A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson
- “A Whole New World” by ZAYN & Zhavia Ward
- “Perfect” by Emma Heesters & KHS
- “Yellow” by Coldplay
- “You Are The Reason” by Calum Scott
- “Love Story” Taylor Swift
- “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Music Travel Love
- “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding
- “Like I’m Gonna Lose You (feat. John Legend)” by Meghan Trainor
- “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele
- “Perfect” by Music Travel Love
Upbeat anniversary dance songs
- “Celebration” by Kool and The Gang
- “This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole
- “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” by Barry White
- “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen
- “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli
- “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars
- “Everything” by Michael Bublé
- “Keep on Loving You” by REO Speedwagon
- “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer
- “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole
- “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins (From the Disney hit movie, Tarzan)
- “Lucky” by Jason Mraz (featuring Colbie Caillat)
- “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
- “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers
- “The Way You Do the Things You Do” by The Temptations
- “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction
- “Rewrite the Stars” by Zac Efron & Zendaya
- “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie & The Blowfish
- “Happy Together” by The Turtles
- “Crazy for You” by Madonna
Here is another helpful article: The Best Wedding Reception Dance Songs Ever!
Frequently Asked Questions About The Wedding Anniversary Dance (FAQ)
In this faq, we will cover all of the common questions about the anniversary dance.
What is an anniversary dance at a wedding?
The anniversary dance at a wedding is a great way to celebrate longevity in marriage. It starts with all of the married couples dancing on the dance floor. The DJ then starts asking people who have been married for the least amount of time to leave the dance floor. By the end of the song, the goal is to have the couple who has been married the longest alone on the dance floor.
*We personally prefer the reverse anniversary dance (our reasons and how to do it can be found at the bottom of this article).
How to do the anniversary dance at a wedding reception?
The anniversary dance is very simple to do. Here are the steps:
- Your DJ invites all married couples to the dance floor.
- A few seconds after starting the song, the DJ will ask anyone who as only been married for 1 day to leave the dance floor (this is obviously the newly married couple).
- The DJ will then ask anyone who has been married 1 year or less to leave the dance floor.
- Your DJ will now start removing couples from the dance floor in incriments of 5 years (Anyone married 5 years or less, please leave the dance floor)
- Anyone married 10 years or less can please leave the dance floor (then 15 years, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years, etc.)
- Once you get to the point where there are only a two couples left, you can start making the years closer together (44 years or less, 45 years or less, 46 years or less, etc.)
- Once the second-to-last couple leaves the dance floor, you have your winning couple (the longest married couple).
- Everyone will cheer and your DJ will ask the longest married couple to offer the newly married couple some marriage advice.
- We recommend having your wedding photographer snap a photo of the two of you with longest married couple.
How long is the anniversary dance?
The anniversary dance typically lasts for 4-5 minutes (or 1-2 songs). This will depend on how many guests you are having at your wedding, and how many of those guests are married. Talk with your DJ ahead of time and let them know how many couples to expect for the anniversary dance.
Should we do an anniversary dance?
Yes, you should do an anniversary dance if you have a lot of older guests, especially married couples. The anniversary dance is a great way to get couples of all ages onto the dance floor. Many times, these older couples will not start dancing unless you give them a good reason. The anniversary dance also gives your single guests the chance to grab a drink from the bar.
Just remember, this is your wedding day and there are no set rules for what you do or do not do at your reception. If your guest list is mostly younger friends, you might want to skip the anniversary dance and tell your DJ to keep the party going.
What is the reverse anniversary dance?
The reverse anniversary dance is when you start with only the recently married couple in the middle of the dance floor. The DJ starts adding in more married couples by the number of years they have been married. By the end of the dance, all of the married couples will be on the dance floor together.
The main reason that we like the reverse anniversary dance more than the traditional anniversary dance is that it’s the perfect way to open up your dance floor.
By completely filling the dance floor with guests, the DJ can instantly go into the first song of the night as soon as the reverse anniversary dance is finished. We recommend playing a song that all ages and guests will love.
A few songs to consider are:
- “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge
- “Celebration” by Kool and The Gang
- “Twist And Shout” by The Beatles
- “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars
For even more awesome wedding reception dance songs, check out this article: 197 Best Wedding Reception Songs
When to do the anniversary dance at a wedding
When you do the anniversary dance will depend on if you are doing the traditional anniversary dance or the reverse anniversary dance.
If you are doing the reverse anniversary dance, the best time to do it is right when the DJ is opening the dance floor for the evening.
If you are doing the traditional anniversary dance, you can do it before the cake cutting, after the DJ has played a fun upbeat music set. This will ensure that all of the older guests are still around for the anniversary dance. Some of your older guests will leave the reception after the cake cutting, so you don’t want to do it too late in the evening.
If you would like to see a real anniversary dance in action, check the video out below. This will show you how it typically flows:
More Wedding Reception Tips and Ideas
- A complete guide to the wedding reception order of events
- Perfect songs to use for your first dance
- The best wedding reception songs for your dance floor
- Our favorite songs for the father-daughter dance at a wedding
- Amazing love songs to dedicate to your wife or girlfriend
